Steen, DA, Barrett, K, Clarke, E orcid.org/0000-0003-1839-6405 et al. (1 more author) (2017) Conceptualizing communities as natural entities: a philosophical argument with basic and applied implications. Biology and Philosophy, 32 (6). pp. 1019-1034. ISSN 0169-3867
Abstract
Recent work has suggested that conservation efforts such as restoration ecology and invasive species eradication are largely value-driven pursuits. Concurrently, changes to global climate are forcing ecologists to consider if and how collections of species will migrate, and whether or not we should be assisting such movements. Herein, we propose a philosophical framework which addresses these issues by utilizing ecological and evolutionary interrelationships to delineate individual ecological communities. Specifically, our Evolutionary Community Concept (ECC) recognizes unique collections of species that interact and have co-evolved in a given geographic area. We argue this concept has implications for a number of contemporary global conservation issues. Specifically, our framework allows us to establish a biological and science-driven context for making decisions regarding the restoration of systems and the removal of exotic species. The ECC also has implications for how we view shifts in species assemblages due to climate change and it advances our understanding of various ecological concepts, such as resilience.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2017. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Biology & Philosophy. The final publication is available at Springer via https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-017-9589-8. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Climate change; Community; Invasive species; Resilience; Reference condition; Restoration |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science (Leeds) > School of Philosophy (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 12 Oct 2017 09:44 |
Last Modified: | 27 Sep 2018 00:38 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Springer Verlag |
Identification Number: | 10.1007/s10539-017-9589-8 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:122380 |